Someone Has To Do It
by Lioness-Goddess
Summary: During a night helping out the homeless, something weird happens to Don, and he gets stuck with a job no one wants to do.
1. Chapter 1

Donatello hummed softly to himself as he packed as many things as he could into the worn brown duffel bag. Four wool blankets, a few sweatshirts and a variety of food and bottled water resided next to his normal tools and gadgets. When there was no more room left, Don zipped up the bag and slung it over his shoulder, almost running into Mikey as he left his room.

"Hey, where ya going?" Mike asked, taking in the bag over his brother's shoulder.

"Thought I'd pay a visit to the professor and his friends," Don explained, "It's supposed to be below freezing tonight, so I thought some blankets and stuff would help. Wanna come?"

"Nah," Mike shook his head, "Monster movie marathon on tonight. Raph lost a bet – he has to watch the entire thing with me – B movies included."

"Ouch," Don chuckled. He knew how lame some of Mikey's movies could be. "Alright, I'll be back in a couple hours then."

"Bye," Mikey answered, already heading towards the couch.

-------------

"Ah, Donatello!" The African-American man greeted cheerily as he saw the turtle approaching, "How are you?"

"Fine, thanks, professor," Don said, handing over the bag. "Temperatures are supposed to be really low tonight."

The professor smiled and nodded as he dug through the bag, pulling out the blankets and sweatshirts. "You have a kind heart, you and your family. Where are the rest tonight?"

"At home. Mike's got one of those monster movie things on tonight," Don grinned. "Here, give me some of that food, I'll help you give it out."

"Many thanks, Donatello."

Taking one blanket and half the food, Don went to one half of the site while the professor went to the other. Soon he had distributed most of the food, but still carried the blanket. The homeless, while thankful for the food, knew of the coming cold snap and had been preparing.

Ready to go home, Don figured he would just give the blanket to the professor as he left, and he could take over.

Before he even got to his friend, Don tripped over someone lying on the ground. "Oh, I'm so sorry," he said, looking down to see who he had tripped over.

It was an old skinny man, with a heavy white beard and a bald head. He looked very surprised. "You can see me?"

Don blinked. Maybe this man had some mental problems. "Yes, of course I can see you, I just tripped over you," he said.

The man chuckled, which sounded more like a dry wheeze. "Guess my time's up then. 'Bout time, I've been begging for a vacation."

"Wha – okay…listen, it's supposed to be cold tonight. I have one blanket left over - do you want it?"

He shook his head. "Won't be needing it, don't you worry. But listen – when it comes, don't skip any, or some bad things will happen, alright?"

"Um, okay, but-"

The man reached up and grabbed Don's forearm. His fingers were icy, and something pricked the turtle's skin.

"Ouch!" Don exclaimed, pulling his arm away, "I'm not sure I-"

But the man had stopped breathing.

Don stared for a minute, before backing away and examining his arm where he had been pricked. There wasn't anything there – no puncture wound or anything. Just smooth green skin as usual.

Shaken, Don gave the leftover blanket to the professor, notified him about the dead man, and went home.

---------------------- 

The next morning, Don's arm felt as if it were on fire. However painful it was, on closer examination it still showed no sign of any physical harm.

Splinter noticed he was favoring his right arm a bit in morning practice and inquired about it. Unsure how to answer, Don merely told him he must have bumped it during the night.

Quieter than usual (which was saying something) Don skipped breakfast and went straight back into his room. Still inspecting his arm, he almost missed the heavy book sitting on his desk.

The book was huge and pure black, with red lettering across the top. The title read 'So Now You're Death.'

"Raph!" Don called, "I think you left a book in my room!"

"No I didn't!" his brother called back from the kitchen.

"Mikey?"

"Nope!"

"Leo?"

"Sorry Don. And stop shouting from your room. If you want to talk to us, come out here!"

Don went back to his desk and picked up the heavy book. Opening the front cover, a piece of paper fell out. It looked a bit like papyrus, but the letters on it were definitely done with a computer or a typewriter.

Across the top it said 'Rules' and then there was a bulleted list. Dropping the paper back on his desk, Don left his room and went into the kitchen with his brothers.

"Okay Mikey, ha ha, you got me."

Mike looked nonplussed. "What are you talking about?"

"You know, the book, the rules about being Death. I think you're starting to slip, bro."

"Donnie, I have no idea what you're talking about. I haven't pulled any pranks today. Yet."

Don frowned and studied Mikey. Usually he could tell when his brother was lying, but the orange-clad turtle looked sincere.

"So…none of you know what I'm talking about?"

All three shook their heads. "Maybe Splinter put it there for some reason," Leo suggested.

"Maybe…" Don said, though he couldn't find any logical reason why. "I'll go ask him."

An hour later, Don was back in his room, sitting at his desk, staring at the book and the paper laying on top of it. Splinter had no recollection of a book like the one Don had described, and suggested that perhaps one of his brothers had left it there. So now he was back at the beginning.

It had to be a joke. An elaborate prank. Maybe the whole family was in on it. Don couldn't possibly be Death – that was more Raph's area of expertise. But everyone had seemed so sure that they had no idea.

Picking up the paper that said 'Rules', Don read them over:

No collecting during the day

Never tell anyone of your profession

You are not immortal.

And that was it. No explanation or anything. Just the three rules. Don was almost afraid to open the book. He wouldn't even touch it – just sat and stared at it.

Finally, after staring at the book for a good thirty minutes, Don reached to open it and was interrupted by a loud banging on his door followed by Raph's voice.

"Hey Donnie, get yer tail out here! April's here."

Sighing, Don abandoned the book and left his room to greet his friend with the rest of his family.


	2. Chapter 2

"Donnie, are you okay? You look a little pale," April commented as Don joined the rest.

"Yeah, fine, April," Don said. He wanted to tell her, or someone. But he was still unsure if it was a prank, and didn't want to look like a fool. Plus, who would believe him if he suddenly started babbling that he was the Grim Reaper? He was supposed to be the logical one in the family.

"So whatcha been up to?" Mike asked the redhead, already leading her towards the couch. April had been busy lately – her shop had had an unusual amount of customers with very rare and expensive items – she hadn't had time to see the turtles.

"The same old stuff," April said, "Now that the business has died down some."

An idea hit Don. "Hey April, if you don't mind, would you mind doing an appraisal on something for me real quick?"

April looked surprised, but nodded. "Sure, I'd love to."

"Great, be right back."

Don got up and nearly ran to his room. He hoped April could appraise the book for him, tell him it was a fake and he could get on with his life. Stopping at the doorway he looked at the desk.

The book was gone. A short squat lady sat in its place.

"Hello." She said cheerily. Don screamed.

The lady frowned, hopped off the table and was gone by the time Don's brothers made it to his room to see what the commotion was about.

"What's the matter?" Leo asked immediately.

Don turned to look at Leo, his mouth still frozen in the hanging open position. "The book…it was…and then it was a lady! But she disappeared!"

"Umm…are you sure you're okay?" Mikey asked. He looked as though he were trying to be serious and not laugh at the same time.

"Seriously," Raph spoke up, "You've been actin' real strange today, bro."

Don looked back to where the lady had been. Still nothing. "No…" he said slowly, putting on an embarrassed look. "Sorry."

His brothers were still giving him odd looks as he let them lead him to the living room.

"So what did you want me to appraise?" April asked, still sitting on the couch, and looking completely baffled.

"Nothing. You know what? I found a date on it. Made in China. Complete fake. Don't worry about it."

April raised a thin brow at him, but said nothing. The rest of her visit went smoothly, until it was time to leave.

"Can I talk to you for a second, Donnie?"

Slowly Don came over. "Yeah?"

"Are you sure you don't have something for me to appraise?"

"Yeah."

"Well what's up with you? I know you're quiet, but I've been here for hours and you've barely said four words to me."

"Sorry April. Just thinking."

"I know there's something going on, Donatello."

"April…do you believe in Death?"

The redhead laughed. "Death happens to everyone Don, you of all people should know that."

"No, not death, Death. With a capital 'D'. The Grim Reaper?"

"Oh." April looked confused and surprised at the same time. "Well…no. I mean, come on, a person to come and take you to the other side? Yeah right. I'm sure if there even is another side, you can find your own way. Why do you ask?"

"No reason. I'll walk you to the door."

-

When Don returned to his room after showering from evening practice, the lady was back again, sitting on his desk. The book was clutched to her chest.

Don opened his mouth to scream again but was interrupted by the book hitting him in the face.

"Ow! What the shell was that for!?"

"Shell? Come on dearie, a death can swear better than that."

"Who are you?" Don demanded, rubbing his beak.

"Your advisor," the lady said. "Mona, by the way. Nice to meet you at last, Donatello."

"Listen lady, I don't know how or why-"

She shushed him, already dragging him to his computer chair. "I have a lot of work to do in a short time, Donatello. Now shut up." Don shut up.

Mona dug into a bright red knitted purse she was wearing and pulled out a sheaf of papers along with a pen. Don noticed the tip of the pen had been fashioned out of a ferret skull.

"Alrighty," she began, sliding the papers in front of him and handing him the pen, "Now now now, I need you to sign here…good…here here…there…over there…up there…across…initial there…good!" She took back the pen and hopped up on the desk, crossing her legs.

"Now, if you have any questions, consult the book. If it's not in the book, call me."

Before Don could ask how, or if she even had a cell phone number, there was a faint pop, and she was gone.

The turtle stared at the space where she had been before picking up the book off the floor and flipping to the first page.

'Welcome to the challenging new career as a death', it read, 'Yes that's right, a death, not THE Death. Get over yourself. Since there are way too many countries, states and provinces to have Death get all over in time, a select few from each city in each country are chosen to do the duty. Congratulations!'

"Congratulations!?" Don snorted, but read on:

'If you have a computer, great. If not, get one. You'll need it. Names will appear on the screen. These names are the names of the people you need to collect. Each person will also have a time limit for you to collect them. NEVER COLLECT DURING THE DAY. And be careful. You may be a death, but you are not immortal. Finally, never tell anyone about your profession. Not only will they not believe you anyway, but it's against the rules. Happy hunting Don!

Don stared. How the heck…he tried flipping to the next chapter, but that was it. Don flipped through the rest of the pages in the huge book to find that they were completely blank.

Don flopped back onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. With the appearance of Mona and the last word in the book, he was beginning to believe that this was definitely not all a joke.

There was a small ping on his computer, and he got up to see what it was.


	3. Chapter 3

Don stared at the computer screen. The machine that had given him so much solace and comfort in the last few years had suddenly betrayed him, by no fault of its own. The name on the screen read Ashley Grant.

Thinking hard, Don tried to remember if he knew or had heard of anyone named Ashley Grant. He didn't think he had, not even on the news or the internet. She was a complete stranger. Next to her name was a number two. Don wished the book hadn't been so vague.

"So do I have two days or two hours to find her?" He wondered out loud. Picking up the book again, he flipped through it for sheer curiosity. Right under the wish for happy hunting, was a new sentence:

Numbers indicate days, stupid.

Don shut the book and set it back on his desk. Well that answered that. He had two days – nights, really – to find a girl he had never met in his life, and then what? Walk up to her and introduce himself as the Grim Reaper? That would go over real easy. And hey, wasn't he supposed to get a scythe in the deal?

Glancing back at the computer screen, the turtle noticed that the name and number had disappeared and returned to his normal screensaver. Just to be sure, he pulled a pad of paper out and wrote them down before he forgot, and slid it back into the drawer.

He hopped into the computer chair, hoping to do a search for Ashley Grant. He tried every resource he could think of, even hacking into hospital computer systems, but there was no trace of her. Again the thought that this was a prank crossed Don's mind, but was quickly pushed out.

Giving up on the computer, he closed the window and left the room just in time to miss the small box poked with holes appear on his table.

-

"Hey, who knows what's up with Donnie lately?" Leo inquired, expertly swinging his katana in a perfect arc.

"Nobody," Raph grumped, blocking his brother's sword with the prongs of his sai. "He's been actin' weird. Usually it's Mikey who acts weird, not Don."

"Yeah.." Leo mused, ignoring the "hey" from Mikey from the next room and stepping to the side to avoid being stabbed in the gut, "Quieter than usual too. What do you think he's doing?"

"Dunno. Hope it's something good, like the Shell Cycle," Raph grinned.

"I don't think he's working on a project, Raph," Leo said. "It just feels different."

As if on cue, Don emerged from his room. Both brothers immediately fell silent, causing Don to raise an eyeridge. "If I had ears, would they be burning?"

"Maybe," Raph grinned irritatingly.

Leo sighed and sheathed his katanas. "We're just worried about you Don. You're acting different."

Don seemed surprised. "Different? How?"

"Well you're all jumpy for some reason," Leo started, "Always shutting yourself up in your room, you won't talk to us…"

"Maybe he's in love!" Mikey suggested, coming in from the kitchen.

Don shook his head. "I'm fine. And I'm not in love, Mikey."

"That's what they all say, bro."

"Anyway, not talking to you, that's not true. I came out here because I wanted to talk to you, Leo."

The blue-clad turtle raised an eyeridge. "Oh?"

"Yeah. Where's today's newspaper?"

"On the chair."

"Thanks." Grabbing up the newspaper, Don glanced over it once and quickly made a beeline back to his room.

Once he was gone, Leo pointed a katana in his direction. "See what I mean?"

-

Because Don's beak was buried in the pages of the newspaper he was holding, the box continued to go unnoticed. Until it started hissing.

Startled, the purple-clad ninja pulled his face away from the recent obituaries and looked up, immediately catching sight of the box. He tossed the paper onto a chair and took a careful step towards the box. Once he reached it, he slowly opened the lid.

Something small black and hairy sprang out of the box and rocketed across the room, finally cowering underneath Don's computer desk.

Don pulled the computer chair away and knelt on the floor, leaning over in order to see better.

A small kitten, pure black, was backed into the corner, its back raised and its tail puffed up.

"A cat." Don said. "A cat!? Death doesn't have a cat!"

Sighing at the new development, Don poked his hand under the table for the cat to sniff. He was immediately swatted. "Ow! Hey!" he quickly retracted his hand and sucked on the bleeding fingers.

"Fine, stay there for all I care," Don muttered, picking up the newspaper again and sitting down. Opening up to the obituaries again, he picked up where he had left off and began to scan once more. He got to the end of the page and sighed, putting the paper down again. "I give up. I don't think she's in here."

The kitten had come out of the corner and now sat in front of the desk, licking itself. At Don's words, it nimbly leapt up onto the desk and promptly lay down on top of the paper.

"That's not helping," Don informed the cat.

The cat looked up at him with disgust in its amber eyes as if Don was the stupidest creature it ever met. It began to paw at the corner of the paper.

"Hey, hey, stop that!" Don said, "Leo'll kill me if he thinks I used his paper as something to scratch on…wait a minute…no, I mean…"

Whatever Don meant, he didn't get to finish, because the cat's pawing had turned the page. Right at the very top, in bold letters, was the headline:

Cheerleader Diagnosed With Leukemia

Right under that read:

Ashley Grant, 18…

Don didn't read any farther than that. He looked at the paper, looked at the cat, then back down to the paper.

"Mona or someone sent you, didn't they?" He asked the cat. It stared at him, then turned and sat on the Death handbook.

"Okay, okay, I get it," Don told it. Gently he shoved the cat off the book and opened it up to the next empty page – or what had been the next empty page.

Many of our deaths are given guides to help. Enjoy your Hellcat.

"Hellcat. I thought it was a Hellhound?" The turtle shook his head. He was really starting to hope this was all a dream. The cat stared up at him as if waiting for something.

"Guess I'd might as well name you," Don said. "Hm…how about Morris?" The cat continued staring at him.

"It's the best I could come up with."

The newly named Morris mewed, licked a paw and jumped off the table.

-

Raphael looked up as Don once again emerged from his room. "Hey bro, where ya been?"

"In my room."

"Doing?"

"Stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"Boring stuff."

"Oh." Raph knew full well that his brother sounded exactly like him, but knew not to push it. He trusted Donnie not to be doing anything harmful.

The two were distracted by a hissing noise. Klunk had discovered Morris, and the two cats were circling each other, hissing.

"Uh, Don?"

"Yeah?"

"When'd we get a second cat?"

"When it showed up in my room."

"What?"

"Don't ask."

They watched as Klunk took a prelimary swat at Morris and was easily knocked aside, although the black cat was smaller.

Immediately Klunk rolled over onto his back, submitting to Morris. The smaller cat sniffed him and walked away, tail twitching in victory.

Don turned back to Raph. "I have to find someone."

"Who?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why do you need to find them?"

"I don't really know."

"O..k…well…good luck."

"Thanks."

And with the conclusion of one of the oddest conversations Raph had ever had, Don was out the door and into the sewers.


	4. Chapter 4

Don stood on the roof, scanning over the city. The ground that his feet were firmly planted on for the moment also happened to make up the ceiling of Ashley Grant's bedroom. He had no idea what he was supposed to do.

Sure enough he'd found the right person, but then what? The girl was only eighteen. He didn't want to scare her to death. If he hadn't been so preoccupied, he would have laughed at the irony.

The book had offered no help, even when directly asked. Neither had Morris – the damned cat hadn't stopped yowling and driving everyone nuts until a glaring Don had let him tag along, if it was even possible for a cat to do that.

The mammal in question wound around Don's ankles as he thought, causing him to look down. "Well?" the purple-banded ninja demanded, "What should I do?" Morris blinked and sat down. "Right."

Sighing, Don muttered to himself, "I have to get this over with. I'm a ninja, right? Ninjas are supposed to kill. Unfortunately." Personally Don avoided killing whenever possible, but with his new "job", that was now out the window.

Being careful of Morris, the ninja crept down onto the fire escape and peeked into Ashley Grant's darkened bedroom. He could see a form sleeping on the bed that he assumed to be her.

He slid the window open effortlessly. Don was surprised. He had expected a squeak, an alarm, for her to wake up…anything. But nothing happened, and just as easily he entered the bedroom. Crossing it, he came to stand beside Ashley Grant's bed, even more lost than before. Unsure what he was doing, he reached out a hand…

Her eyes popped open. Don froze, panicked, but it turned out he had nothing to be frightened of. Her clear blue eyes went right through him. She couldn't see him.

"Well…this makes things simpler," Don said to himself.

Ashley Grant shuddered, mentioned something about it being cold, and turned over, pulling the blankets over her head.

Again Don got a bit closer to the bed, and looked around for his companion. "Morris? Morris, where are…oh."

The pure black cat had leapt on to Ashley's bed, lightly walking up the mattress to where her head lay.

Morris bumped his head against hers. When it came back up, the cat was bathed in a light blue glow and Ashley Grant was dead.

Donatello looked sadly at her before turning his attention to the cat. "All you have to do is maintain physical contact?" The cat bowed its head in what looked like a nod.

-

When they returned to the lair long after everyone was asleep, Don picked the book up again and flipped to the next page.

Congratulations, you've collected your first soul! You'll need a box, preferably with a lock, to keep them in until they can be redistributed. An employee will come each month to empty the box.

The book flew across the room and hit the wall.

-

"You know, I think Donnie's a serial killer."

Leo's spoon froze mid-journey to his mouth. "What!?" He wasn't sure if he had rightly heard the words that had so casually spilled from his brother's mouth. "What makes you say that, Mikey?"

The orange-banded one nodded sagely. "Well, think about it Leo. He's pretty much secluded himself for a whole month. He's always asking us about people – and then those people he asks about turn up dead later! There's got to be a connection."

"Mikey, Don is not a serial killer!"

"Oh yeah? Sometimes stuff is missing from the dead people's houses, and it ends up in April's shop! Explain that!"

"That happens all the time. Relatives sell their inheritances sometimes."

"He has a creepy box in his room that he doesn't want anyone to touch. Bet there's human ears in it."

"Bet there's something breakable in it that he's hiding from you, mister I-can-break-something-without-even-touching-it. Come on, do you really think Don is capable of killing someone out of self-defense?"

"It's always the quiet ones, bro."

The two brothers fell silent as Don entered the kitchen himself. Even if he wasn't out serial killing, Leo had no idea what Don had been doing at night for the past month. What he did know was it took a lot out of him. His gentle brother almost always seemed tired, and once, during practice, Leo could've sworn he was on the verge of tears.

"Morning Donnie," he greeted quietly.

Don jumped nearly a mile in the air. "Oh. Good morning, Leo. Mike."

"You missed practice…"

Donnie seemed surprised at that. "I did!?" Quickly he checked the clock on the microwave, "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Splinter figured you could use the sleep." Leo quirked an eyeridge, "Honestly Donnie, whatever you do at night, couldn't you give it a rest? It's going to start really hurting you. I know you're not working – you haven't invented or fixed anything for a month."

Don was shaking his head. "It's just…insomnia. Can't sleep. Sometimes it's nice to go out…"

"Donatello."

The younger turtle sighed. "So. What's for breakfast, Mikey?"

Leo sat back and frowned as Mikey happily chattered about food. He knew Don, and when Don didn't want to talk about something, he changed the subject. But that could hardly work all the time. Something was going on with Donnie, and Leo was going to find out what.

Don could just see Leo's frown out of the corner of his eye. He'd have to be careful around him – once Leo set his mind on something, there was no turning back.

'You're wrong about one thing, Leo,' Don thought to himself, 'I have definitely been working.'


	5. Chapter 5

When Don returned to his room, Mona was sitting on his desk. This time he managed to hold back his scream, but just barely.

"Hello, Donatello," she said pleasantly.

Don shut the door behind him and stepped up to her. "Listen, I want out."

Mona blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I want out. I've been doing this job for a month, and it's…I had to take a baby! I can't do it. Let me out."

The middle-aged woman uncrossed her legs and quirked a brow. "I'm afraid that's impossible."

"There's nothing-"

She was already shaking her head. "I am sorry dear. You're not the only one who's wanted out before – I know it's not fair, dumping the job on just anyone who passes by, but it's the only way. No one would want it otherwise. But I'm afraid it's a lifetime deal."

The turtle gaped at her. "I have to do this…for my whole life!?"

Mona inclined her head. "You'll pass your job on to whomever makes contact with you last upon your death. Just as happened to the homeless man whose job you took over. He was a tough one – hard for him to get near a computer. But he did a good job."

She really did look sorry, but that did nothing to stop Don's heart from rapidly sinking into his stomach. "So there's nothing-"

"Nothing at all." She sighed. "Now, the box, please."

"What? Oh." Don had nearly forgotten about all the souls he had collected. He picked the box off his shelf and pulled a tiny key from his belt, unlocking it, before handing it to her.

As soon as Mona opened the top to peek inside, her face was bathed in a dull blue light, illuminating her pleased expression. "You've been doing a good job as well, apparently," she said, closing the top again. "We've got plenty of bodies waiting for souls to be redistributed into them. And you haven't passed any of the deadlines, not even by a second! Good for you!"

Don merely nodded mutely. However, Mona wasn't finished – in fact, she was in the process of shaking a finger at him. "Make sure you never pass a deadline," she said, suddenly serious, "You've been doing a good job so far, and a few seconds never matter, but there will be consequences if you do."

"Consequences like what?"

Mona shook her head. "I'm sorry, it's not my place to say." She gripped the box tightly and the blue glow disappeared. "Until next month." She handed the box back to him, and then she was gone.

Don's computer pinged, and with a heavy sigh, he turned to see whose number was up.

-

Far across New York, in a deeper, darker part of the sewers, something black and slithery leapt out of the water onto a maintenance platform. Two others joined it, seemingly having materialized out of the air itself.

"We grow weaker," The first one said in a grating voice, as if it had not spoken in many years. "We need to feed."

"But," said a second in a voice that identified her as female, "All the souls have been collected. And the moon will return in a few nights' time."

"We have waited this long," The last one, also female, spoke up. "We can wait a bit longer. It is only a matter of time…the new one will slip up. They always do. And then we shall grow strong."

The three crowded together, and then with the sound of whooshing air, one large black mass disappeared into the water.

-

Mikey sighed and reclined on the couch. Klunk was in his lap, rubbing against his plastron for all the attention he could glean from his owner.

Morris, who had discovered that his master's brother knew exactly about that special spot between his ears, lay curled up on Mike's left side, blissfully enjoying the rubbing motion of the turtle's other hand.

Leo smiled at the scene as he entered the living room. "You're turning into quite the animal guy, Mikey."

"What can I say?" The younger turtle said, grinning, "They love me."

Leo chuckled and shook his head. "Well, you're gonna have to disappoint them. Meet outside for patrol in ten minutes, ok?"

"'Kay."

"Oh, and could you get Donnie for me?"

Mike looked at his brother. "Why me? Don's been such a grouch lately."

"I know," Leo grimaced. "That's why I'm asking you to get him."

"Oh, ha ha, thanks a lot."

The blue-banded turtle just smiled and disappeared out the door to wait for his brothers.

Rolling his eyes, Mikey pushed Klunk off his lap, ignoring his indignant yowl, and headed for Don's room, tapping on the door.

"Donnie?"

"I'm busy Mike."

"Yeah…Leo told me to tell you that patrol's in ten minutes."

"What!?"

"Patrol's in ten minutes," Mikey repeated, "Something wrong?"

"Uh…no…" Don said, looking back at the computer screen. Patrols took hours, and he only had one to collect the soul of some guy named Charles Ling, all the way in Chinatown, which was in the opposite direction of where the patrol would be tonight.

But how to get out of this one? Leo had been watching him even closer lately – Don thought he probably suspected something was going on. But the book had been very adamant about not telling anyone about his new job.

"Donnie?"

"I'm coming," Don said, getting up and shutting down the computer. He would go on the patrol and look for an opening to slip away from his brothers. He would collect the soul, and then return to them. It was the only solution he could think of.

"Damn patrols," Don heard Raph muttering as he passed Don and Mike on the way to the door. He was also pretty sure he heard Raph mumble something about Leo's power trips, but he wasn't positive.

Sure or not, it made him smile, something he really needed. Leo noticed.

"You look happier today," he commented to his brother. "Get some weight off your shell?"

"Not really," Don shrugged, "But I can deal."

Raph elbowed Don good-naturedly. "Good, 'cuz we really don't need ya turnin' into me!"

Don chuckled falsely along with the rest of his brothers, and fell into his place in line as they jogged to the nearest manhole cover.

Once they were topside and safely on top of a building, Leo began to lay out the rules for the evening. "Okay, it's Friday, so there's going to be a lot more activity than the rest of the week. Make sure to keep an eye peeled. And stick together at all times. No wandering off. You know what they say – the freaks come out at night."

Well damn, Don thought as Raph made some comment about nobody being able to get freakier than Mikey or something, How am I supposed to slip away now? Leo's been watching me lately – I know he has. He's probably going to be extra-careful tonight, too, or he wouldn't have said that.

Don glanced at the clock on his shell cell. He only had thirty minutes left to collect the soul, which wasn't anywhere near where he was standing.

Damn damn damn.

"Waiting for something, Don?" Leo's voice said from behind him.

Don jumped and turned to face his brothers. Mike and Raph had already gone on ahead – apparently Leo had given the order to go, although Don hadn't heard it. He gazed at Leo's stern but curious face.

"No," he sighed, "Nothing at all. Let's go."

As he joined his brothers in the nightly show of acrobatics, heroism and some good old-fashioned thief punching, the opportunity to slip away never came up. And the hour deadline slowly ticked away.


	6. Chapter 6

A crow sat on the cement parapet, leading into one of the drainage systems. The bird never shifted or blinked, merely sat as if it were waiting for something. When two smears of black slithered up to it, the crow finally moved. It cawed and jumped into the air, bursting apart, leaving only a black smudge hanging in the air.

The smudge drifted down and joined the other two. Together they began to rise and take shape. Blobby nothingness shaped into heads and torsos. Limbs grew. And the one who had been a crow stood tallest.

"Sister, Brother," It said in its terrible voice, "It has happened. The new one has fouled it up. Come – we shall feast tonight, and grow strong."

"But what of the advisor, Raum?" The female asked.

Raum smirked. "The deadline is up. You know she cannot do anything. Moloch?" The third black head nodded, "Go – collect the soul and bring it here. Deumos and I will leave the warning."

Moloch nodded, and three black smears leapt into the sky.

"AUUUGH!" Crash.

Raph jumped in his seat as the noise echoed around the lair. "A'ight, so tell me this," he said, catching sight of his blue-clad brother, "That's Donnie in there makin' all that noise?"

Leo nodded.

"Why?"

"I don't know," Leo said, "It's not like Donnie. It's more like…"

"Me?" Raph raised an eyeridge.

"Well…yeah," Leo admitted sheepishly, "But I don't understand. Absolutely nothing happened tonight that could've made him upset. No fights, no deaths. No women trapped in alleys. It was quiet."

"Mikey?"

"No, Mikey hasn't pulled any pranks lately, and even if he did, Don just takes it in stride most of the time."

There was another crash followed by a yell, and Leo's face darkened. "That's it. Something's happening with our brother, and I'm going to find out what it is."

Determined, Leo crossed the lair and banged on the door of Don's room, a curious Raph trailing behind.

There was no answer, and Leo banged again. "I'm busy!" Came the answer.

"Donatello, get your shell out here now!" Leo screamed.

Raph watched in awe. The only time he had heard Leo scream like that, he was usually on the receiving end.

"No!" And again, the blatant refusal usually came from him…Raph was a little frightened at the change of roles.

The door was yanked open, and Don's face appeared. He looked furious. Raph blinked. Again, he rarely saw that emotion on his normally easy going brother.

"Don, what the heck," he started, but was cut off.

"What the heck what!?" The purple clad one snapped irritably, "What the heck am I doing in here? What the heck am I doing at night? What the heck is making me so tired! I don't know! Stop asking me!"

And the door slammed again.

Don returned to his desk chair, his fingers pinching the space between his eyes as he could feel a headache coming on. This was bad. Very very bad. He had missed his deadline. Completely missed it. He hadn't gotten any chance at all to get down to Chinatown, and now there would be repercussions. Problem was, he didn't know what they were.

Morris could feel it too. The cat hadn't moved from the corner of the room, though Don could see his puffed up tail swish occasionally and hear him growl lowly to himself.

The book offered no help. Its pages remained blank, even when Don asked it specifically what to do. He was officially lost.

The turtle didn't even look up from his hands as there was a faint pop behind him an hour later. "I suppose you've come to yell at me…"

"That was the original notion, yes," Mona said, coming to stand next to him. "But you look so forlorn…I just can't do it."

"Thanks," Don mumbled.

"But," The old woman clapped a hand on his shoulder, "You still must come with me, my dear."

That got Don's attention. "What?" He had only ever seen Mona leave by disappearing.

"To see my boss." She replied impatiently, "He's not very happy, Donatello, but perhaps if you explained what happened…"

"I don't want-" Don never got to finish his sentence, because as soon as she lay her hand on his shoulder again, he suddenly got very cold, and the familiar surroundings of his bedroom melted away.

When the colors solidified again, they were not the warm yellows and browns of the lair. They were dark, blues and grays and black. Don had trouble seeing. Mona still held on to his arm.

A shadow shifted in the corner. "I do not remember sending for you, Mona…"

Mona cleared her throat. "Yes, my lord. I know. But I thought if I fetched the boy to tell you-"

"Tell me what?" The shadow demanded. "What has happened?"

"Don't tell me you haven't felt it," Mona said urgently. The shadow said nothing in answer and she continued, "There was…a failure…a soul was not collected."

Don braced himself, waiting for the explosion to come. However, it never happened. The shadow stayed silent, as though it were thinking, then said quietly, "And have They gotten there?"

"There was no time to stop them," Mona replied. "They have fed."

"This must be rectified. You have someone with you."

"Yes." Mona shoved Don forward. "This is the Death that failed to collect the soul."

Don got the strange feeling that he was being stared at, even though he couldn't see the shadow's face. "In my years of my existence – and that is quite a long time – I have never seen anything quite like you…"

"I hear that a lot," Don said.

There was another short silence, and then the shadow asked, "Why did you fail to collect the soul?"

"My…brothers. They've been watching me closer – since I became a…well, you know. I've been acting weird. I don't blame them – but I didn't get a chance to get there." He hung his head. "I'm sorry…"

"To err is human, young one, and although you are not quite…that, you are still capable of making mistakes. I will take care of the situation. Mona, take him back to his home."

Mona nodded and had placed her hand on Don's shoulder before the shadow interrupted again, "Wait." Mona took her hand off him.

"I am going to give you advice. Listen well. It is imperative you do not miss another soul, so do not. And, although I am aware the instructions say to only collect at night, it may benefit you to stay out of the shadows for a few days. Oh, and trust strangers. You will see what I mean. Now go."

Before Don had a chance to protest – stay out of the shadows? He was a ninja for God's sake! – Mona had once again grabbed his shoulder and the blues and blacks of the strange place melted away to once again be replaced by the comforting sight of his bedroom wall.

"Well," Mona looked harried – her gray hair was starting to fly out of her bun – "I suppose I'll be seeing you, Donatello, don't forget the advice now…yes…I'll be seeing you…" And with a faint pop, she was gone.

Don sank into the computer chair just as his bedroom door was kicked open. Startled, he looked up to find Leonardo, his face a mixture of anger, confusion, and worry. But it wasn't his brother he was worried about. It was who was standing next to him.

"Donnie," Leo said, "Master Splinter wants to talk to you."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Gaahh…_bangs her head against the desk_. So sorry for the lack of updatage – it's not that I had writer's block (for once) It's that I had no time. I had to graduate, and then pack TWO rooms for college, which I move into in sixteen days- big changes ahead for me. But I really wanted to get this chapter written, so please, enjoy it.

-

The warm glow of the candles bounced off the cement, bathing Splinter and Donatello in a soft light, and giving the room a warm feeling overall. Don felt anything but warm.

"Kneel, Donatello," Splinter said, passing his low table and sitting on the other side of it. Don knelt. The old rat watched him for a few moments before saying, "You have been acting differently."

"Yes, Master. I know."

"Your brothers have noticed as well." Don looked down at his hands, folded in his lap, but said nothing. Splinter continued, "They are worried. I am worried. I trust you, Donatello, but if you are doing something dangerous-"

"I promise I'm not doing anything that could be harmful to this family, sensei." _Yet_.

Master Splinter ran a gnarled claw over his ears and through his whiskers. He always knew when his sons were lying – but Donatello was not. He was definitely holding something back, though. The vibe that surrounded Donatello was the same, but had changed slightly. Splinter was sure he had felt it before, but couldn't quite place it. In the end he sighed, and scrutinized his son again, before bowing his head. "You may go, Donatello."

His son stood and bowed, turning to leave. Before he reached the door, he turned to face the rat again. "Master, you know I would never do anything to hurt anyone, right?"

Splinter couldn't help but smile a bit. "Yes. Of that I am quite aware."

Don nodded, thoughtful. "Good." Then he left, Splinter's eyes never leaving him.

Leo was waiting for him outside. "So?"

Don blinked. "So…what?"

"Did you tell Splinter what's going on with you?"

"There's nothing going on, Leo." _That I can tell you_.

"Hmph." His brother gazed at him, but then shrugged, even though Don was sure Leo wasn't going to drop it so easily. "Well, you up for some training topside? Raph and Mike are at Casey's – we're just going to meet them there."

"Yeah, I'm up for it," Don said, thinking that if he tried to skip out on training again, Leo most definitely would not drop it, "I just gotta get my bag."

"Three minutes, Donnie."

"Uh huh," Don answered, already on his way to his room. He entered, grabbed his bag and slipped it over his shoulders. He turned to join Leo, then turned back, curiously heading for the computer. He moved the mouse, disrupting the screensaver. Don sighed in relief – the screen was blank. _Finally. A break. _

"Donatello!"

"Coming, Leo!"

Don let go of the mouse and raced to meet his brother.

-

A shadow hung underneath the eaves of a small water tower, perched on top of an apartment building. Not so unusual, and yet, the shadow was on the wrong side of the building to be reflected by the setting sun, and there were no lights on the roof that could possibly create it. The shadow was unnatural.

As soon as the sun had set completely, the shadow slid smoothly down the wooden sides of the tower and across the cement roof. Two more shadows hung in the corners. "Moloch!"

The shadow nearest the first one slithered toward it. Together they began to twist and writhe, slowly rising into muscled torsos and heads with sharp beaked faces. The one who had spoken first was considerably more muscled.

"Yes, Raum?"

"Why have you failed to collect any more souls? We need them if we must grow as strong as we once were!"

The grotesque silhouette curled its jet back lips back in a sneer. "It is not our fault that the new one has been more careful since the first time."

"It is!" Raum growled, his rasping voice like aluminum foil on concrete, "He has been more careful, so you must be more cunning! He has been cautious, but he is on the move tonight. I feel it. Deumos!"

The last shadow slithered up to them and began to morph as well – she was obviously female, once her torso had seemingly solidified. Yet it seemed as though she was weaker than the two of them – she was less defined. She looked at Raum, awaiting orders.

"Moloch and I will hunt for souls tonight. It will be your job to distract the Death – and stop him. For good."

Deumos cocked her head. "Raum, to use my skills to stop him, I will need my whole body. If only for a few hours. I need a soul."

Raum growled, but nodded. "Fine. Fine. Take one from our stores, but only one. I shall know if you have taken more."

"As you wish."

"Come, Moloch." Together the two silhouettes seemed to fold into themselves, again and again, until they resembled crows. They spread their wings and jumped off the building, once again becoming smudges in the sky.

-

Don raced next to Mikey, enjoying the feel of the wind on his face and the sound of his bandanna whipping behind him. For the first time in a while, he felt free.

"Hey! You guys wanna play tag?" Casey asked as they slowed to a stop to take a quick break.

Raph chuckled and slapped his friend good-naturedly on the back. "Case, ya always lose. Ya can't beat a ninja at tag, bonehead."

"Well, you can't lose if you don't play at all," Casey huffed.

"I'm up for tag," Mike said, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Raph looked at him. "We've been running for two miles – how the hell are you still so hyper?" Mike stuck his tongue out at him.

Don looked at Leo. "So?"

Leo looked as if he were debating, but nodded. "Sure. Why not. Teams or individual?"

"Individual," Raph said immediately. "I don't wanna get stuck wit' Mikey."

"Hey!"

"Okay then." Casey took out a bat, and used it to point to a vent exhaust, "That'll be the starting point. Raph, ya wanna be 'It'?"

Raph shrugged in agreement.

"Right, then, ready set go!"

All five of them took off in a surge, in different directions. Raphael hardly ever started off chasing Donatello, so Don went in the opposite direction than everyone else so he could have a head start if Raph decided to change his mind and come after him.

Deciding to go down to the alleys for a few blocks, Don slid down a fire escape and took off running. Suddenly a feminine scream pierced the air. Immediately Don halted and ran in the direction of the scream, expecting to find a woman in trouble. Instead he found an empty alley.

"Uh, hello?" He asked, cautiously entering but sticking to the shadows.

"Hello," A voice purred. It sounded like it came from behind the trash cans. Don didn't see anyone, yet he moved forward a bit more.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh yes…"

Finally Don saw something, barely. A very tall, very shapely woman with well endowed breasts, ebony skin and jet black hair stepped out from behind the cans. "Everything is fine now," she breathed.

"Oh…well…good." Don turned to leave, but was startled by a hand on his arm. She felt cold.

"You look like you could use some fun," she purred at him, sliding her hand up his bicep. Don stared at her – how could she have seen him?

"Um, no thank you," he said, weirded out by the whole experience.

"Come on…the brave warrior needs to relax." She pulled on his arm and he found himself pressed against her. He tried to pull away, and found she had an iron grip.

"Miss, I really don't think-" Don looked down at his arm, meaning to pry her hands off him. Instead of the elegant hand he had seen before, a black tentacle was wrapped tightly around his arm, and was getting tighter.

A red glint was in her eye now, and she grinned maliciously, pinning both his arms to his sides and pulling him even more uncomfortably closer, defeating his attempts to reach for the shuriken in his belt.

"You must be stopped, Meat," she growled, a definite demonic edge to her voice now. One of her arms-turned-shadowy-tentacle wrapped around his body. The other one turned back into a hand, a razor sharp claw coming out of her forefinger. She jerked his head back and held her claw up to his throat. "Permanently."

She raised the claw, and Don closed his eyes. There was a blood-curdling scream, and the tentacle wrapped around his body loosened and disappeared. Don's eyes opened again – a shuriken was lodged right in her eye, steaming black blood pouring from it. He dropped to the ground, gasping for breath.

Hissing, the demon lady was frantically searching for her attacker with one eye. "Show yourself!" She was screaming, "No one dares attack Deumos! Warriors fear me!"

"Those warriors must have sucked then." Raphael dropped from the fire escape. "And while we're on the subject, no one dares attack my brother!" His voice dropped as he helped Don back to his feet, "You okay?" Don nodded. Raph pulled out a sai. "Good."

Deumos had pulled out an ornate obsidian blade. "You will pay for the damage you have done," she screeched.

Raph pushed Don out of the way as she charged, just barely catching her blade in his sai, keeping it from going through his neck. He pulled out the other one and in one movement, kicked over her head. She ducked, and Raph used the motion to grab her and pull her to the ground, stabbing her right through her belly. She screamed, and more steaming black blood stained the pavement. Finally she lay still.

Raphael stood and turned to Don, putting his arm around his shoulders and steering him towards the mouth of the alley. A small noise sounded behind them, and Don turned. Deumos was rising up off the ground, reaching for her obsidian blade. In a fluid motion she was up and running towards Raph, blade raised over her head.

"Raph!" This time it was Don's turn to push his brother out of the way. He slid his bo out of his belt and aimed a heavy blow towards Deumos' head, connecting hard.

She staggered back, hissing. "You will regret this! You will-" She hissed again as Raph hit her in the arm with another shuriken.

"Get outta here, lady."

Deumos roared at them one last time before retreating to the back shadows of the alley and disappearing.

Raph slid his arm over Don's shoulders once more. "So. Ya wanna tell me what the hell that was?"


	8. Chapter 8

"Lemme get this straight. You're death." Don nodded glumly. Raph, leaning against Don's door, held up the Guide. "And this, it tells ya what to do?"

Don nodded again.

"Well shit, Don."

The purple-banded turtle glanced up from his computer chair, slightly surprised. "Don't tell me you believe all that?"

"Why the hell would you lie?"

"I wouldn't…I guess. I just thought you'd be a bit more…skeptical."

"Yeah, like that freaky lady in the alley wasn't proof enough. What was that, anyway?"

Don's brow furrowed. "I don't know. What I do know though, is that no one was supposed to find out about this death thing. Ever. If that's the case, that thing in the alley was just the beginning."

"Well I know now, and there ain't nothin' nobody can do to change that," Raph said firmly. "So let me know if ya need help once in a while, huh? This hermit crab impression you been doin' lately ain't great."

Don chuckled. "Thanks Raph. But I'm not sure if there's much you can do."

"I kept ya from bein' strangled by that demon."

"True."

"'Sides, Donnie, ya know, now that I know what your problem is, if you ever need…well.." Raph shifted awkwardly. "Y'know. Someone to talk to. I'll…be around. If you want."

Just as Don opened his mouth to say something, the computer pinged. He turned to look at it, unconsciously grasping the mouse as he did so.

Raphael folded his arms, watching. "Next person in line?" he asked.

Don merely bobbed his head slowly. He seemed transfixed by the glowing screen.

Coming around the back of the chair, Raph peeked over his brother's shoulder to see who's name had appeared.

Jacob Freeman.

Nobody they knew. Internally Raph gave a sigh of relief.

Checking the time, Don stood up abruptly. "I…have to take care of this."

"Then I'm coming with ya."

"No! No…you can't."

"Why the hell not? What if that freak comes back, and brings friends?"

Don refused to look at Raph, his eyes glued to the floor. "I just don't want you to see," he mumbled.

Sighing, Raph glanced at the ceiling. "Fine. I'll stay here and over for ya, okay?"

This seemed to perk up Don immediately. "Really?"

"Sure. Tellin' Leo to piss off is the only thing I'm good at." Don was already bustling around the room, throwing gadgets and whatnot into his bag. Raph held up a finger. "But if that thing comes back, you call. Or press the panic button. Do somethin'. I ain't lettin' ya fight that alone."

"Sure, sure," Don nodded mechanically.

"I mean that, Donnie!" Raph growled.

The other turtle stopped his journey around his room and looked at Raph. "I'm glad you've been so understanding. Of everyone, I'd never think you - " Don seemed to realize what he was saying and changed it to, "Well, thanks."

Raph shrugged nonchalantly. "Whatever," he turned to leave. "Just don't get killed, 'kay? 'Cause I'm not explainin' that to Splinter." And then he was gone.

Don stood still for a moment to see if he would come back, then zipped up his now full bag and looked at Morris, who was now napping on his pillow. "Well, I'm off to kill someone. Sounds like it'll be fun."

The cat stretched and buried its head under a paw.

-

"Raum!" A terrible but weak voice rasped, echoing around the cement walls of the moist sewer tunnel walls.

The larger of two huge crows flapped its wings, and in the space of a blink it had turned into a well-muscled man with ebony skin. He sneered at the pathetic shadowy form of Deumos as she dragged herself to his side. She hadn't had even the strength to shape-shift into anything but a tattered shadow.

"Raum, I am injured," she gasped. Her torn tentacle reached for the ornate box that lay on her leader's other side.

Casually Raum moved the box further from her reach. "I've no room for bunglers," he leered at her, revealing blood-encrusted teeth. His fangs still glowed faint blue with the souls he had recently devoured. "Why do you deserve to deplete our already small store of souls? I can use them for more useful things."

"Information…" the injured demon said, grasping at straws, "I can give you information."

"What information can you give me that I do not have already?"

"The…the one we seek…the New One…I believe he has contact with The Risen One…if they are both found and…and destroyed…you will be able to take over…you will rule all!"

This seemed to please Raum. He thought about it for a moment before transferring the box into Deumos' reach. Eagerly she knocked the top off, leaning over it, inhaling the blue fog of soul into her lungs. With each breath she slowly grew back into the beautiful woman she had been previously, each wound knitting closed with a flash of blue light.

Raum waited until she had regenerated fully, then snatched away the box. "No more wasted souls," he said firmly. "Our store is diminishing too quickly. Next time, Deumos, if you fail, I will not be quite so forgiving."

The newly regenerated woman dropped to her knees, her hands clasped together over her head, taking no heed of the sewer water she know knelt in, "You are the most kind, my master. Soon you will rule all."

Raum nodded to her, then turned to the last crow that had been sitting and watching quietly. "Moloch, I have a job for you."

The crow ruffled its feathers, then opened its beak. "What does my master wish of me?"

"Deumos says the New One is in allegiance with The Risen One. They must both be taken out. I want you to find out if this information is true, and if you can, get rid of the New One. I will deal with The Risen One."

"Yes, my master." The crow bowed its head, then spread its wings and sped off down the tunnel.

"And now, Deumos, we will solve this problem of running out of souls," Raum said, standing.

-

"-And that is my theory on why people think it is acceptable to leave gum on the park bench seat." The Professor beamed at his audience of two homeless men who stared at him with dull expressions.

"That's gross," one of them said.

"Uh, yep." Said the other.

The Professor's ears picked up a small crunching noise at the top of one of the huge piles of garbage and he turned to see what it was. A familiar silhouette stood on top of it. The Professor smiled.

"Ah, Donatello, welcome." He squinted his eyes, "It is Donatello isn't it? My eyes aren't what they used to be, and you do look rather a lot like your brothers."

With all the speed and agility of a ninja, Don easily leapt down from the garbage pile into the midst of the three homeless men.

"Jacob Freeman."

Two of the homeless men merely looked confused, but The Professor's smile faltered. "Yes, that was my real name. How did you come about finding that out?"

"It…doesn't matter, really." Don said. "Listen Professor, would you like to take a walk with me?"

The African-American man's smile returned. "I would love to, Donatello. I was just telling these men that I had a new theory on…"

Don let him ramble as he led his friend away from the homeless community's camp and towards the pier that over-looked the Hudson.

"-So that's what I think." The Professor finished. Don, who had been staring off over the water, smiled at the man.

"Great theory, Professor. Best one you've had yet. Hey, did you want anything else?"

"No, no." The Professor patted his stomach, "that hot dog and coffee you bought me was quite enough. Speaking of which, I never did ask why. Is it a special occasion?"

"Something like that," Don said with a hint of sadness in his voice. "Look, you can see Orion."

The Professor looked up. "Yes, it is a remarkable constellation." He yawned and stretched his arms. "Excuse me, Donatello, I just need to rest my eyes for a minute."

"Take all the time you need." Don said softly, keeping his eyes on the stars.

When a good forty minutes had passed, Don glanced at his companion. His eyes were still closed. "Professor?"

There was no answer.

Don shook him gently. "Professor? …Jacob?"

Still no answer.

Sighing, Don placed his two fingers on his friend's neck. No pulse. Don checked his watch. Jacob Freeman had died right on time.

The turtle stood up, and placed his hand on the now dead man's forehead. His hand glowed blue as the soul transferred. With the other hand, Don dug the box out of his bag and carefully stored the soul inside it.

"I'm sorry, dear."

Don turned. Mona sat on the bench, clutching a fluffy violet sweater around her torso. "It's always hard when you have to do friends," she continued. "But it's necessary. It was his time.'

"I know," said Don, "But he was just…so unique. He didn't even seem that old."

Mona shrugged. "It is not up to you and I to decide when their time is."

"Then who-" Don's question was interrupted as the box was violently knocked out of his hand.

Immediately he pulled out his bo. "Not again!"

"Again?" Mona queried, leaping off her bench and coming to his side. Suddenly both their visions were blocked by a flurrying of black feathers.

Don swung his bo blindly, trying to hit one of the crows that was blocking his vision. "Get away!" he screamed, "the souls don't belong to you!" One of the crows' claws raked his scalp as the other one went for the box that still lay upon the ground.

"NO!" Don yelled, diving so that his entire body landed atop the crow that was going for the precious souls. It screeched and writhed underneath him.

Mona had ducked down and was rummaging in her bag. "Keep them busy dear!" she called out to him, "I'll have us out of here in a moment!"

"Like I'm not trying!" Don grunted, trying to keep his weight on top of the crow while the other one attacked his unprotected head.

"Aha!" Finally Mona pulled something out of her bag. She ran over to Donatello, grabbed the box and tucked it under one arm, before grabbing his bicep and throwing whatever she held onto the ground.

There was a huge flash of white light, and then everything went dark.


	9. Chapter 9

When Donatello woke up, he was not in New York anymore. He was lying on a flagstone floor in a square room that looked as if the walls were also made from some sort of stone. There were torches in holders on the walls, and yet, the shadows cast by them had a bluish tint to them.

There was a slight scuffling noise, and then Mona popped up out of thin air. Don just watched her, used to her sudden comings and goings by now.

"Oh good, you're awake," she said happily as she saw him. "I was afraid those demons did something to you."

"How long've I been out?" Don asked.

"Oh, an hour, maybe two," Mona shrugged. "I brought you here because it's safe from Raum and his crew. Plus, we have a huge problem that needs to be addressed."

"Do tell," Don said dryly.

Mona fixed him with a stern look. "Don't be smart. Come on, we have to see my boss." She helped him to climb to his feet and lead through a side door.

There was something very large in the room. The very faint-torch light made it hard for Don to see exactly what occupied the space, but it was huge. And it was restless. Whatever it was, it was shifting from foot to foot, fluttering, never stopping its motion.

The thing finally noticed them. "Mona – there is-"

"A rather large problem, yes," Mona said, looking just as restless. Don realized the thing's voice sounded familiar – it was who Mona called her boss, the creature hidden in shadow he had met previously.

Now the creature addressed him, "How long has the Risen One known of your new duty?"

Don stared blankly. "The…sorry, what?"

"The Risen One!" It said impatiently. "The only One capable of joining with you to banish the demons who would steal the souls for their own gain!"

"I really have no idea what you're talking about," Don shrugged.

"Donatello, have you told anyone of your secret?" Mona asked him.

"Well, Raph, but-"

Mona let out a little squeak.

"Peace, Mona, peace." The creature said. Something flapped, and Don thought he saw a few feathers, though he couldn't be sure.

"Hey, I thought you said if I told anyone, there would be consequences."

"And there have been." Mona's boss came a bit closer – Don caught a glimpse of a clawed foot. "By you telling your brother, you have alerted Raum that there is indeed a new death, and a new Risen One. Now he will do anything in his power to keep you from collecting any souls, and keep you away from your brother."

"Why would he keep me away from Raph?" Don asked, "If he wants me away from my family, keeping Raph away wont' do it – I have two other-"

"Silence, New One."

Don shut up.

After a great much more shuffling, the creature finally stepped out of the shadow he concealed himself in.

The purple-banded ninja was now craning his neck to look up at a giant black owl, no less than ten feet tall. It looked down at him and opened it's beak – the now familiar voice came out.

"Donatello, the Risen One, the only one able to help bring down the demons without serious harm to himself, is your brother Raphael."

Don stared at him. "That's ridiculous."

"Who had the easiest time letting you go off to do your duty?" Mona asked mildly. "As I am aware, your brother Leonardo still feels uncomfortable about it. And Michelangelo may believe you, but the tasks ahead of you would cause his personality to fade."

"Just curious, how is it you know all this?" Don demanded.

Mona smiled. "That's not something you need to know."

"So tell me something I do need to know."

Mona's smile faded, and she backed away slightly. "Raum and the demons he commands are fast running out of souls, since you've been doing your job so well." Her smile returned a bit, "But they won't be satisfied much longer. If they can not get to the souls of the dying, they will turn to a different option."

"And what's that?" Don had a feeling he wouldn't like the answer.

"Children."

The giant owl stepped in at this point. "Children's souls are not as guarded as adults'." He explained. "They are not quite as easy to get as the dying, but they are not impossible either."

"But…children…who aren't even on their way out, I couldn't even dream of-"

"You don't have to collect their souls as you do a dying person," Mona continued. "This is where your brother comes in. He will not be able to collect souls as you do, and you will not be able to protect them as he will be able to do."

"Protect them?"

"Your brother, the Risen One, has been given a special task, just as you have. In fact, because of you. Raphael will be able to guard the souls against anyone or anything – except you, of course. You must help each other to banish the demons back to where they came from."

Don sighed. This was all becoming very complicated. "And how are we going to do that?"

Mona shrugged. "That's all we can tell you, I'm afraid. Now you must consult the book, and find answers for yourself."

"But-"

Mona snapped her fingers, and Don found himself standing in the middle of his bedroom once again.

He had barely reoriented himself when there was a short knock at the door, and Raph let himself in.

"Hey Donnie, there's kinda a problem with the- what's the matter?"

Don had turned to look at him with an "Are You Kidding Me, I Can't Fix Something Right Now!" look.

"Raph, we have to talk."

-

An hour later, the two brothers were sitting at the kitchen table, the book and Morris the cat sitting between them.

"I don't get it," Don despaired, "she said to consult the book, but there's nothing in there."

"Well I'm this Risen thingy right?" Raph asked, grabbing the book and flipping it open. "Maybe it'll work for me."

He flipped through a few pages, but all they yielded were blank pages. "Guess not."

"Ugh," Don banged his head on the table. "I did not ask for this job."

"Look braniac, we just gotta keep tryin'. Yer the research guy anyways, ain'tcha?"

"I guess. How am I supposed to research this though?"

"Google?"

Don rolled his eyes. Raph shrugged. "Worth a try."

Morris stretched luxuriously and padded over to the book, sniffing it for a moment before batting at the cover. Don absent-mindedly pushed him away. The cat came back, batting some more. Again he was pushed away. Un-phased, the feline came back a third time, and this time managed to get the book open.

"Morris, what are you…" Don glanced down at the book and snatched it up so suddenly Raph started.

"What?"

"Shh…it's writing something."

Don stared at the text intently.

"So what does it say?"

Don looked up at his brother disbelievingly. "Try Google."

-

"Okay, so there's two possible places the demons will strike tonight," Don said. He was sitting at his computer, Raph leaning over his shoulder. "St. Peter's Children's Hospital, or the orphanage down on 35th."

"Why those places? There's plenty of places kids are."

"Yeah, but these places are where children are their weakest. It would be easier for the demons to take their souls."

"Okay, so here's the puzzle," Raph said, leaning back. "Which one of the places do we go to?"

"That's the problem," Don said. "We don't know which one to go to. And we can't split up, because we need to be together to defeat them. The only thing I can think of to do is to recruit Mike and Leo."

"But you can't tell them what's going on."

"Right."

Don leaned his head on his hand, tapping the desk with his other. "I have a plan, but it's going to take some finesse."

"Any skull bashing?" Raph asked, "'Cause that's more my area of expertise."

"Actually, yes, but leave some for the demons," Don snorted. "Do you wanna hear the plan or not?"

"Lay it on me, geek boy."

"Okay. So we're going to pick the hospital and go there. What we need is to have Mike and Leo to go to the other place. We're going to tell them that you owe me a favor and are going to accompany me to the junkyard – we'll have to stage something for you to owe me the favor."

"With ya so far. You and me are at the 'junkyard.'" Raph pulled out a sai and began to balance it, a habit he had when he was thinking hard. "So how are we gonna get Mike and Leo to the orphanage?"

"That's where you come in," Don continued, "I need you to get in a fight."

Raph grinned. "No problem."

"With the Purple Dragons."

"Also no problem."

"And then admit to Leo you can't handle it by yourself and ask for backup."

"What? Hey, I don't-"

"It's staged, remember?" Don rolled his eyes. "Anyway, on our way to whichever place we pick – or the 'junkyard' – we're going to split up long enough for you to find the Purple Dragons, rile them up enough to chase you, and then lure them to somewhere around the orphanage– just outside it would be preferable, but whatever you can do."

Don began to fiddle with a pen on his desk. "This is where it gets kind of tricky."

"Like it wasn't before?"

"Shut up. Listen. Tell one of them – actually, make it Mikey, he'll be more willing to do it – tell Mikey he should go inside and skulk around and make sure all the kids are okay, and tell him if he sees anything weird to contact you. Make sure the number of Dragons you lure isn't overwhelming, because you need to have a "fight" with Leo and do your disappearing act so you can meet up with me at the hospital."

"Okay, and the demons come in where?"

"If the demons are at the orphanage, Mike will notice something weird going on and call you, and we can go back. If they're at the hospital, we'll know. Also if we get tied up with them at the hospital and don't show for a while, Leo's bound to track you through the shell cell, especially after your little "fight.""

Raph grinned and shoved his sai back into his belt. "It's gonna be a fun day."


End file.
